In the middle of winter Provincetown artists celebrate Valentine's Day!

February 11-12 & 17-19, 2006

Opening & party! Friday, Feb. 10, 4-7 pm, WOMR/Schoolhouse, 494 Commercial Street

IamProvincetown.com is organizing an art exhibition in celebration of Valentine’s day called “I love Provincetown!” at the WOMR/Schoolhouse Gallery, 494 Commercial Street, Feb. 11-12 & Feb. 17-19, 2006. More than 60 Provincetown artists will show their work, mostly paintings, prints & photographs. The show will start with Grand Opening Party Friday, 4-7 pm and will continue over 2 weekends, from 11am to 7pm. Everything will be on sale under the title “What better gift than art?”

Among exhibiting artists are veterans of Provincetown art scene, well respected and well known, like Paul Resika, Salvatore Del Deo, Arthur Cohen, Peter Watts, Brenda Horowitz, Jane Winter, Richard Pepitone, Gail Browne, Pat de Groot, Selina Trieff, Robert AHenry, Elspeth Halvorsen, Varujan Boghosian, Rose Basile, and Marian Roth.

Jay Critchley, Dan Ranalli, Maryalice Johnston, Pasquale Natale, Melanie Braverman, Jenny Humphreys will challenge our thinking of what art is, by showing contemporary art.

One interesting group of Provincetown artists in the “I love Provincetown!” show is “Emigé Group,” artists born somewhere else, not in the United States: Paul Bowen (Welsh), Ewa Nogiec (Polish), Wendelin Glatzel (German), Irén Handschuh (French), and Erna Partoll (Switzerland). Handschuh showed her delicate mobile sculptures at Berta Walker Gallery last season, creating sensation among artistic community.

Bowen and his wife Pamela Mandell (a writer) moved to Vermont in Spring 2006 - and it is big loss and maybe a starting point for town to think how to prevent this trend of artists leaving town. Bowen’s leaving is greatly felt by many because he was such a strong voice in art community and served as a committed teacher. No one else captured Provincetown Harbor with our wharfs and fishing boats like he did in his drawings and prints. His magnificent sculptures always used materials found on the town beaches. Another artist who left town is furniture maker and artist, Patti Tronolone. She now lives in Washington DC.

Richard E. Smith, who came to town to study art with Leo Manso and moved to San Francisco in 1992, is shipping his new work for the show and many who knew him are waiting to see what he is doing now. Incidentally, the Manso’s school was in the same building where the show is but upstairs, the space later used by famous Long Point Gallery and now used as a performing center by WOMR, the owner of the building.

Before WOMR, the building was owned by David Davis, and was beautifully restored, with the addition of very contemporary looking tower. David Davis created the Driskel Gallery at the Schoolhouse in memory if his good friend artist Kevin Driskel, who died of complications from AIDS in 1997. The organizer of this show, Ewa Nogiec, would like to see naming the tower “Kevin Driskel Tower,” in homage to Driskel.

Cid Bolduc, one of the artists Robyn Watson, former long-time director of Provincetown Art Association and Museum and later gallery owner, strongly supported and represented in her gallery, is mailing her piece from Gulfport, Florida, where she spends winters in art community similar to Provincetown.

The exhibit will show also work by two Hans Hofmann’s (1880-1966) students, Haynes Ownby & Mary Kass. Haynes Ownby, who passed away in 2001, was one of few Provincetown artists making abstract paintings, using primary colors and working with grids. Mary Kass, good friend of Haynes, is working again after long illness and will be showing a small abstract oil painting.

Many artists in the show are tightly woven into the town fabric, owning businesses or working odd jobs in town. Mary DeAngelis is a well known for her elegant, intelligent clothes for contemporary women (she shares the retail space with Daniel Cleary at Shank Painter Road) and Lisa Ventre makes beautiful hats, sold at Glo on Commercial Street. Conny Hatch works at the Provincetown Banner. Pam Hudson is the town manager’s secretary. Suzanne Harding used to work at Napi’s Restaurant as a waitress. Nogiec publishes iamprovincetown.com and provincetownartistregistry.com and does graphic design. Sky Power is the right hand at Berta Walker Gallery. Cyndi Walker just started her job at Castle Hill, where Cherie Mittenthal is the Executive Director and Cid Bolduc is the Head Studio Manager. Jeffory Morris is the curator of collections at the Pilgrim Monument and Museum, where Mike Ware takes care of the grounds. Harvey Dodd’s gallery is the oldest in town. Sally Brophy does (pro bono) graphics for CASAS. Peter Falconer works as a waiter.

Alice Brock, the same Alice from famous “Alice’s Restaurant” has a open studio year-round in the West End of town, and if you are lucky, you may find her stones with whimsical drawings somewhere in the Beech Forest.

Wendelin Glatzel puts down tiles and Kim Kettler is the most beautiful hostess at Bubala’s Restaurant. Doug Ritter teaches at PAAM, where Midge Battele & Peter Makara also work. Vincent Guadazno photographs Provincetown for the Provincetown Banner. Rose Basile owns guesthouse, so does Chuck Anzalone, and Donna Flax, a painter, is also a silkscreen artist with shop across the post office. Vicki Tomayko & Jim Peters both teach at the PAAM school. Katrina Walker works at Julie Heller Gallery and Maryalice Johnston at FAWC. Rena Lindstrom helps direct the wonderful, contemporary ERNDEN Fine Art Gallery and writes about art. Gail Browne owns a gallery. Irene Lipton is art director for Provincetown Arts. Tia Scalcione is making plans to open her deli again, and Lana Barbo walks Hana, Ewa’s dog, everyday.

Victoria Maase Stoll, Jim Peters, Maryalice Johnston, Vicky Tomayko, Doug Ritter, Polly Burnell, Paul Bowen, Tabitha Vevers, Jenny Humphreys have one thing in common - they all are Fine Art Work Center former fellows.

And if you are a man and ever went to Beachcombers, Frank Milby probably cooked the dinner for you! His signs, commissioned by Provincetown Chamber of Commerce, welcome all to Provincetown.

Only one person in the “I love Provincetown!” exhibit was born here - Peter Macara. His Provincetown waterfront mural can be seen at the Land’s End Marine Supply and last year exhibition in PAAM during Portuguese Festival was best ever attended show!

The youngest artist in the show is Tracey Anderson, represented by Julie Heller Gallery. This very talented woman is worth watching, and collecting.

It is incredible group of artists, all making Provincetown their home and contributing to our rich artistic history and following the steps of Charles Hawthorne, Henry Hensche, Hans Hofmann, Edward Hopper, Robert Motherwell, Peter Busa, Oliver Chaffee, Alvin Ross, Kenneth Stubbs, Leo Manso, Myron Stout, Nano de Groot, Jack Tworkov and many, many others. Please join them in celebration of ART, Valentine's Day & Provincetown!

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February 2006

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